Approach to Development
DSC has adopted a work methodology aimed at empowering institutions, organising communities and districts to assure coordinated and synergic results. Africa can only move forward when its human resource accept the challenge to “design, build and paddle” their own canoes. It is only through such an approach that the required organization necessary for community development can be sustained.
The two-prong approach adopted by DSC in grant sourcing and choice of projects to be implemented are:
Proactiveness: involves DSC performing needs assessment, identifying project opportunities in specific locations, and sourcing funding to implement them.
Reactiveness: involves an external entity or beneficiary requesting for support from DSC with an already-identified institution, community or locality for interventions.
DSC has a five-step project development cycle that is used in almost all its community development work. This is to assure efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of all project interventions.
DSC has a five-step project development cycle that is used in almost all its community development work. This is to assure efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of all project interventions.
The five steps are:
- Community needs assessment using a livelihood security framework (PRA).
- Participatory project formulation.
- Participatory project implementation.
- Rigorous project monitoring and evaluation with all stakeholders involved; and
- Impact assessment and post implementation review of projects to measure results, benefits, outcomes and document lessons learned to inform recommendations, decision-making and the design of future projects.